


Underneath The Spotlight

by disney_princess_patton



Series: Sanders Sides Dance school AU [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is So Done, Ballroom Dancing, Creativitwins, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Dance school AU, Dukexiety - Freeform, Human AU, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Logic | Logan Sanders Angst, Logince - Freeform, M/M, Moceit - Freeform, Morality | Patton Sanders Angst, Not canonverse, Platonic DRLAMP - Freeform, Platonic Dukeceit - Freeform, Platonic Logicality - Freeform, Platonic Moxiety, Supportive Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Supportive Deceit | Janus Sanders, The bois all fall in love with their dance partners, Warnings are at the start of each chapter, are any of these bois ok?, backstage shenanigans will ensue, because I am a sucker for cliches, but they wouldn’t give it up for the world, cos they all have like 50 dances to prepare for, hope you enjoy!, platonic anxceit - Freeform, platonic intrulogical - Freeform, platonic royality - Freeform, so apologies if it’s bad haha, the answer is no, this is my first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28148874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disney_princess_patton/pseuds/disney_princess_patton
Summary: Patton, Logan, Roman, Janus, Remus and Virgil are all dancers who have spent months preparing for a show, and today is the big day. Exciting routines, backstage shenanigans, nearly impossible feats and even romance lie ahead of them. They’re ready to attack this show with everything they have, and face anything the unpredictable world of performance has to throw at them. And they’ll do it all together and help each other, just like they always have.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides Dance school AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103714
Comments: 27
Kudos: 59





	1. Beginnings of Something Amazing

**Author's Note:**

> Heights of the bois in this au (from tallest to shortest): Roman, Remus, Logan (all very tall) Janus (just above average), Virgil (just below average), Patton (very short)
> 
> Remus, Roman and Logan are 16  
> Patton, Virgil and Janus are 15 
> 
> A/N: Hi there! So this is the first fic i’ve ever posted so apologies if it’s bad. It’s been up on my tumblr (disney-princess-patton) for a while, but now I’ve finally stopped procrastinating and posted it here!! I’ve planned 17 chapters but this may change. Hope you enjoy reading! :D
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: cursing, one mild Remus-y joke

Patton Hart had been waiting for this day for months. Preparing, rehearsing, dreaming of the day he would finally go on stage, and it would all pay off. Anyone could say whatever they wanted, but they would never change his mind- there was no better experience than performing in a dance show. He practically ran towards the theatre, hair already gelled in position and face already covered in stage makeup. In the entrance hall, he was greeted by his good friends, twin brothers Roman and Remus Kingsley. 

“Pattie!” Roman, the eldest, practically squealed!

“Romaaaan!” Patton giggled excitedly, setting down his huge suitcase (that his tiny body had barely been able to carry there) in order to be picked up and twirled around by the tall boy, one of his closest friends in the world.

“Come on, put him down, don’t want you getting dizzy before you’ve even started dancing,” said another boy with darker hair, who had just entered the foyer. His makeup was much less extreme, and it was obvious he was going for a more “cool” look, well, as cool as stage makeup possibly could be. 

“Virgil!” Patton squealed, attacking the other boy with a hug. Virgil Storm had only been dancing since he was about eight (all others in their friendship group had been doing it since even before they began school, Patton since before he could even talk properly) but they had all taken the anxious boy under their wing, and he would never admit how much this dance school meant to him. 

“Hey, Virgin!” Remus joked, not caring that the foyer was also filled with the younger members of the dance school. 

Roman playfully elbowed him in the stomach. “No dirty jokes today!” he scolded lightly. “I’ve got enough to worry about as it is,” he added as a mutter. Roman was in the most dances out of anyone in the whole school- just less than half the show. Widely regarded as the best dancer there, he definitely had the potential for a career in the performing arts, which, honestly, was his dream. 

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by the voice of one of the dance teachers. “Can we move things along, please? Go to the sign-in desk and then to your dressing rooms to keep the foyer clear!” 

“Come on!” Patton said. “We can wait for the other two in the dressing room!”

The dressing room was tiny- they always were. There was barely enough space for all the boys to put their belongings down, and they were also trying to make space for the other two members of their group. The only six teenage boys in the dance school always shared a dressing room, and had formed extremely close bonds over their years dancing together. Just then, another boy came through the door. He was tall and thin, with a serious, prim and proper manner about him. 

“Salutations, everyone,” he said. 

“Logie!” Patton cried out the nickname he had had for Logan since they were both around four years old. Logan accepted Patton’s hug, giving him a few awkward head pats. 

“Good to see you, specs,” Roman half-sang. 

“We saw each other at rehearsal the other day,” Logan remarked blankly. 

Roman flushed a little under all his makeup. “....I know.”

“We saved you a space!” Remus grinned excitedly, leaving Logan some room to put his belongings down.

“So,” he said, “do we all feel prepared for today?” 

The response was a resounding “Nope!” but, then again, who ever felt prepared for this kind of thing? It had always worked out for them in the end, and they’d always supported each other. 

The final member of their group arrived around ten minutes later. Janus Sanders burst dramatically into the dressing room, lugging a huge suitcase and announcing his presence to the others. 

“I have arrived, everyone!” 

“Hey, Janus,” the boys chorused, seemingly too busy sorting out their costumes to give a more enthusiastic greeting. Janus smirked, taking the final spot in the dressing room. “What a lovely day to razzle dazzle a poor, unassuming audience,” he remarked. 

“I do not understand what you mean,” Logan stated. “Surely perfect technique is far more compelling than this ‘razzle dazzle’ business of which you speak.” 

“Oh, come on, Logan, the audience don’t know shit about technique!” Remus said. “You can do whatever and they’ll never know!” This was the sentiment that Remus lived by, and often acted upon at shows. 

“Remus, even someone who’s never danced a step in their life can spot you not doing the routine properly,” Roman told him, chuckling a little. Remus simply folded his arms and pouted.

“I’ll be lucky if I make it through tech run,” Virgil mumbled. “Never mind the performance later.” 

“It’ll be fine,” Janus said. “We’re all here for each other, like always.” 

Patton caught himself looking at Janus, admiration in his eyes. He pulled himself out of the trance and went back to making sure all his shoes were ready. Today was truly going to be an amazing day...


	2. Backstage Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings: none that I can think of!

“What the hell, Logan?” Remus said, watching as the nerdy boy taped a piece of paper to one of the mirrors. 

“You’ll thank me later,” Logan simply said. 

The boys crowded around to get a better look at what seemed to be a spreadsheet Logan had created on his computer, with all the dances in the show down the left hand side and their names across the top. The dances each of them were in were highlighted and colour-coded to show how quickly they needed to change costume. 

“You nerd...” Roman chuckled. 

“I think this’ll actually be pretty useful,” Janus mused. “We can easily keep track of things. I think it’ll go pretty well with what I’ve brought.” He gave the others a sly look before unzipping his suitcase, which contained all his costumes, shoes, makeup and... one other thing. A very small TV, just slightly bigger than an iPad. He placed it at the far end of the dressing room and plugged it in. The display lit up and showed... the stage?! Somehow, Janus had managed this. The boys had a live view of what was happening onstage- currently the teachers and the stage manager were working out the positionings of some of the larger props and sets. The other five teenagers were in awe. 

“Is this why you were ten minutes later than everyone else? How did you-“ Logan began to ask. 

Janus placed a finger on his lips. “Don’t ask how. Just be thankful that I did.” 

“Do we really have to do tech rehearsal?” Remus whined. “It’s soooo boooooriing!” 

Logan sighed heavily. “Remus, we go through this every time. Tech rehearsal is a necessary process in order to-“ 

“Nope, he’s right, tech run sucks,” Virgil said.

“I don’t think it’s that bad!” Patton chirped. 

“Me either!” said Roman. “There’s nothing like the feeling of being on stage, audience or not.” 

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. 

“Fifteen minutes until we start rehearsing! Everyone get into your first costumes!” 

The boys promptly found their outfits for the opening number. You practically needed sunglasses to look at half the costumes in the show, and the outfits for the opening number (an upbeat, jazzy routine to kick off the show) were no exception. Sequins and glitter and ridiculously bright colours. And Roman adored all of it. He held his first costume up in front of him.

“Here we go,” he said to himself with a bright grin.


	3. Why Every Performer Hates Tech Rehearsal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: anxiety, panic, stressful situations, mentions of food 
> 
> A/N: Tech rehearsal is kinda glossed over and described briefly, but that’s because it’s essentially just a pre-run of the show and it would be boring to write/read the whole thing twice. The real show (and all the shenanigans involved) will be narrated in a lot more detail, and maybe if the author has a heart the performance will go better than the tech run...

None of the boys ever wanted to think about the events of tech run again. It was crisis after disaster after catastrophe. Firstly, Roman had pulled a muscle onstage while dancing the opening number. It didn’t hurt for more than around five minutes and Roman insisted that he was absolutely fine, but everyone was shaken nonetheless. Roman was the best dancer and had several important roles and solos- if that had been more serious, they truly would’ve had a crisis on their hands. 

Next, Janus lost a prop he needed for his jazz dance. Thankfully, it resurfaced later but he didn’t get to practise with it, and the loss of an opportunity to be extra disappointed him greatly. And he couldn’t stop thinking about how that could’ve just as easily happened at the performance instead...

Virgil got cold feet about going on stage almost every time. The lights and the music and having to remember the routines... it was all just too much! Luckily his friends managed to calm him and assure him that it was only a rehearsal, but he was still really not sure about going on stage that night. 

Patton had the worst luck when it came to costume changes. He nearly always had some crazy transformation he had to somehow accomplish in as little as a couple of minutes, but this time was on another level. Two of his dances were back to back. He’d known about this for months, he’d tried his best to prepare, he was practically wearing his second costume underneath his first to speed the process up, but... twenty seconds to change basically your entire outfit,  
in pitch darkness apart from torchlight? Not something you can really be ready for in any capacity. He’d already recruited Remus, Virgil, a couple of the teachers and a few others to help him, but it just hadn’t been enough. They lost one of his shoes in the darkness by the side of the stage. They were already losing time, and by the time they finally found it Patton had already missed his cue. He came stumbling on stage late and without half of his accessories. He could only hope and pray that it would go better at the performance later. That was all any of them could really do...

Remus sauntered into the dressing room when the rehearsal was finally over.   
“So I couldn’t find the cameras from the filming company,” he said, disappointment in his voice. “They must not be here yet. However!” his face lit up in a devilish grin. “Jan Jan obviously must have hooked this TV up to a camera- that’s how we can see the stage! So I found that camera and stared into that instead!” 

Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We could tell- you were literally staring at us through the screen as you danced.” 

“It was kinda creepy,” Virgil commented. 

“Well, if it got you through tech run,” Janus shrugged. 

“I’m starving, where does everyone want to go for food?” Patton asked. 

As they began discussing plans to go out into town, Roman noticed Logan slip out of the dressing room. Roman had initially thought him to he the only one who’d gotten through tech rehearsal without getting into some kind of predicament, but now Roman had just seen him leave the room so suddenly, maybe he was wrong...


	4. You Got This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: panic attacks, crying, low self-esteem, Logan angst 
> 
> A/N: ... I’m sorry. I promise there’s some fluff coming

Logan always knew. That was his role at the dance school- everyone relied on him for it. You forget a routine? He’ll quickly teach you, no problem. You want to know about the running order? He’ll know exactly when your dance is and how long you have. Costume queries? Questions about times and locations? Logan always knew, and often wondered where everyone would be without him. His anxieties began to eat at him as he sat in the dressing room after tech rehearsal. A couple of times on stage, he’d just... blanked. This had never happened before- he had to concentrate harder, he couldn’t not know. As he began to lose control of his breathing, he knew it was best for him to leave the dressing room. None of them had had a particularly good tech run and the last thing they all needed was to see him, the one who always had it together, fall apart. 

He found a quiet, dark corner backstage and sat down, letting a few strangled sobs escape him, trying to hold in the tears so he didn’t ruin his makeup. Everyone was relying on him, he had to hold it together! He’d just take a few minutes to compose himself before- 

“Logan?” 

Logan looked up to see none other than Roman, looking extremely concerned. The perfect dancer who Logan admired the most, and wished would view him in the same way, was truly the last person he wanted to see him like this. Roman was flawless, always pulled it out of the bag. Logan could try his best, but would never compare to him. His composure and together-ness had been the one thing he had that Roman sometimes didn’t- he was always there if Roman needed to know anything. But now he’d seen him fall apart? He’d probably never rely on Logan again... 

Roman sat by Logan’s side. “Hey specs... what’s the matter?” 

“It’s nothing.” 

Roman frowned. “Logan, please don’t lie to me.” 

“I...” Logan sighed deeply. There was no getting out of this one. “You all rely on me to know things. But just then, today... I... kept forgetting things. My mind just blanked for some reason. If I don’t know, who am I? What am I good for? I can’t dance or perform anywhere near as well as you, so if I can’t remember the routines... what’s even the point?” 

Roman’s mouth gaped wide open, hardly believing what he’d just heard. 

“Logan, what are you talking about? Your technique is practically flawless! And I’ve watched you, you’re so much better at performing than you think. You have great posture, and those damn tap solos... I couldn’t dream of dancing that fast.” 

Logan felt the heat rise to his face. Was that really what Roman thought? “Th-thank you,” he managed to stutter out. “Although, I am still rather nervous for later...”

“Logan, go through all your routines in your head. Just yours, you don’t need to worry about anyone else. Any gaps?” 

Logan thought for a moment. “I do not believe so.”

“Then you don’t need to worry! This is just your anxiety talking. You know those routines so well, sometimes better than the teachers who choreographed them! You’ve worked so hard, you’re going to be fine. You’ve got this, Logan.” 

Hearing that from Roman made Logan believe that maybe, just maybe, it could be true. He glanced at a nearby clock- just under three hours until showtime. He could do this. He could do this...


	5. Eye of the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: food, slight nausea, anxiety/panic, countdown, i tried hard to make this chapter really tense so please be careful, I’d really hate to make anyone uncomfortable

You’d really expect six teenage boys who’d just exercised for a few hours straight (the only straight thing about them) to have a bigger appetite. But as the dancers sat in a restaurant, they could barely touch their food. As much as they all loved performing, there was always that bit of nervousness before the start of a show. The conversation over dinner was scarce as the boys collected their thoughts, knowing what was to come. When they’d finished eating (as much as they could), they returned to the theatre. Standing out in front of the grand building, it was hard not to be intimidated, knowing all the great performers who’d put on shows there. There was not only that to live up to, but all the expectations they placed on themselves. They walked back inside, re-entering the silent dressing room which they knew wouldn’t be calm for much longer... 

Thirty minutes to go. The boys put their costumes for the opening number back on, and Janus redid everyone’s makeup. No one felt they could quite breathe properly, and it wasn’t just because of the hairspray smell in the air...

Fifteen minutes to go. The dancers put hairspray on the bottom of their shoes to stop them from slipping, and made sure their laces were tied in a double bow so they wouldn’t come undone. They made sure all their accessories were held securely in position. All these little things would hopefully prevent a disaster on stage... 

Five minutes to go. Time to go and wait by the stage. The boys did a few last-minute checks of their outfits and left the dressing room, going to line up in the wings ready for the opening number. 

Two minutes to go. The boys were standing in the stage right wing, mouths dry, hearts and minds racing. Roman saw the signs of panic in his friends, and, desperate to help despite his own anxieties, he managed to pull together something to say to them. 

“Guys... I know how scary this may seem right now, but trust me. We’re performers! Once you get on that stage, all the fear will just melt away, and you’ll be left with passion, and enjoyment, and... there’s nothing like the feeling of performing. So enjoy it. And show that audience how amazing you all are.”

“We’ve prepared for this,” Logan added. “We’ve practised and rehearsed for weeks upon weeks. We have to trust ourselves, because we know what we’re doing here. All that’s left now is to just... do it. And I know we’re going to be fine.” 

“And even if it isn’t,” Janus continued, “we’ll be here. If anything goes wrong for any of us on this stage tonight, the rest of us will all be here. Things happen, it’s inevitable, but know that you’re not alone in your experiences. None of us are alone. We’re all here for each other, through whatever happens.” 

“Don’t let anyone judge you,” Remus stated. “I want you all to go out there and dance and perform like no one’s watching, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks! Just... dance for you and no one else.” 

“I love you all so much,” Patton said quietly. “Never, ever forget that. I don’t care what happens tonight, I’m never going to love any of you any less because of it. We’re like a family, and we’re gonna do this together, okay?” 

In the darkness of backstage, Patton could see the outlines of his friends nodding. “Virge?” he asked. “You ok?” 

Virgil gave a rare, small smile. “Yeah, Pat, I think I’m gonna be fine.” 

Suddenly, the distant mumbling noise of the audience was reduced to silence. The curtain slowly began to lift. The lights came up. The music began. Somehow, the boys weren’t scared anymore. They couldn’t wait to get out there and show that audience what they could do, how hard they’d worked, how much they loved dance and everything about it. They gave their best smiles as Logan led the line out onto the stage. 

Showtime.


	6. Virgil’s Worst Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: slight panic, crying, swearing 
> 
> A/N: This chapter is not nearly as angsty as the title makes it sound, it’s more of an exaggeration/me not having very creative chapter names. This chapter is actually my attempt at comedy lol

The show had been kicked off, and the opening number had gone absolutely perfectly. Full of energy and hardly able to wait to get back on stage, the boys returned to the dressing room while talking excitedly. Patton, however, didn’t have much time for chit-chat. He always volunteered to help with the youngest performers on stage, he was great at looking after them and they really enjoyed his company. The dance school always liked to have the youngest dancers perform as early in the show as possible so they didn’t get tired, meaning it was always Patton’s first job after opening the show. He loved looking after the kids, but there was always one catch- it usually entailed wearing what most people would deem an extremely embarrassing costume. But not for Patton, especially not this time, he loved his pastel blue bunny onesie! The themes of the younger children’s dances were always cute and innocent, this time being no exception. As soon as he was ready, he exited the dressing room and went backstage to meet with the children, only to be met instead with some not so great news... 

He came stumbling back into the dressing room, repressing tears of panic. 

“I can’t believe this is happening!” he said, sinking down into a chair in shock. “One of the girls was supposed to help me look after the kids but she’s gotten sick. We only have a few minutes to find someone else, and there’s like 20 kids, I can’t do this on my own, I just can’t, I-“ as Patton broke down, Janus was quickly by his side, drying his tears and doing his best to save the emotional boy’s makeup. He attempted to hold his hand... or, rather, the paw of his bunny onesie. 

“Patton, it’s going to be alright, just look at me-“ 

“Janus, I appreciate this but I really don’t have time. I came here in a panic, what I really need is to go and talk to the teacher about what we’re going to do.” 

Patton left the room, and Janus staring after him in concern, only to return about thirty seconds later. 

“Um, Virgil, Mr Picani wants to talk to you,” he said, fidgeting on the spot as he talked. 

Virgil didn’t have a dance for a while, so had been relaxing for a bit, and was intending to change into his next costume in a few minutes. However, he knew Patton’s situation was time-sensitive, so, despite wondering what the hell the teacher could want, he didn’t hesitate to spring up and follow Patton into the corridor, where Emile, the teacher, was waiting for them and holding... a bright pink bunny onesie that matched Patton’s? What? 

“Ah, Virgil, perfect timing! Am I right in assuming you don’t have a dance for a while?” 

“Yes, you are, but I-“ 

“Perfect! Now I’m sure you’re aware of the situation with Patton. I really apologise for not giving you prior warning, but this is kinda our only option right now.” He held out the onesie. “Could you change into this really quickly and then go and help Patton with the kids on stage? The choreography is so simple and the kids know it well, you’ll be able to follow it easily, we really just need someone else to make sure the little ones know where they’re going- you know how it’s the first show for a lot of them.” 

Virgil was at a loss for words. “And you’re sure I’m the only one who can do this?” was all he could seem to say.

Emile winced. “Pretty much, yeah. If I’m correct, all of your other friends are in dances pretty soon afterwards and we wouldn’t want to risk them missing those, however yours isn’t for ages yet.” 

Virgil knew Remus also didn’t have a dance for a while, and was going to inquire about why he hadn’t been chosen, yet he knew time was being lost so decided to let it go. He nodded to Mr Picani and took the onesie back into the dressing room. 

“I’ll meet you in a few minutes, Pat,” he grumbled, not sure if he meant it or not. 

“Virgil, what’s that you’re holding?” 

“It’s so... pink.” 

“Oh my god, is that a matching onesie with Patton’s?”

“Wait, did Picani ask you to fill in?”

“You seriously have to wear that?!” 

“I can’t believe this!” Virgil blurted out. “They’ve chosen me to fill in for the other assistant, apparently I’m the only one who could possibly do it or something! Ugh, I can’t wear this, I’m not good with kids, what do I do?!”

“The only thing you can do,” Roman shrugged. “Your best.” 

“Yeah, hate to break it to ya, Virge, but I think you’re just gonna have to suck it up and do it,” Remus remarked. 

“Nuh uh, no way, it’s not happening, guys.” 

“Virge, you have to do it! This is what being a dancer is all about! Flexibility, both literally and metaphorically. Things come up, and you just have to roll with it.” said Roman.

“Yeah!” Remus said. He took the onesie from Virgil and unzipped it for him. “You can just wear this over what you’re wearing now,” he said. 

Virgil took the costume and reluctantly began to put it on. “Hey, trash man, why aren’t you the one doing this? You don’t have a dance for ages either,” he said, as he struggled to push his arms into the bunny paws. 

“Oh, I can think of several reasons,” Janus said. 

“Yeah, where to start,” said Remus. “I’m awful with the kids, last time I was around them I taught them to say ‘shit’, I’m pretty sure they’re all terrified of me and call me ‘scary rat boy’ or ‘the Prince’s mean brother’ and I don’t think I’d even fit into the costume anyway! So, despite being an awkward emo disaster, you’re definitely the favourable candidate here!”

“It is not as bad as you may believe it is,” Logan stated, while looking Virgil up and down. “I really doubt anyone will recognise you.” He glanced at the TV, displaying the performance currently happening on stage. “You should really go now, you’re on in two minutes.” 

“You’re doing a good thing, Virgil,” Roman reminded him.

“Indeed,” Janus agreed. “Just do your best. For Patton.” 

Virgil nodded, causing the pink bunny ears to flap, turned (drawing attention to the white, fluffy tail) and quickly left the dressing room. By this point, the twins were laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of Virgil’s situation, but Janus was staring into space, wide-eyed and shuddering slightly. 

“What is the matter?” Logan asked him. 

All Janus was able to respond with was a terrified whisper of, “that could’ve been me...”

Virgil found Patton almost immediately, he was busy calming the excited youngsters (and putting on a facade of calm himself) as he handed out their props.

“Does everyone have one?” he asked, checking to see if they all had everything they needed. 

“Yes, Patton!” they chorused, amid the excited giggling. Virgil approached them. 

“Thank goodness, you made it!” Patton said, visibly sighing with relief.

“Who’s this?” a little girl asked. 

“Oh, right!” said Patton. “Everyone, this is Virgil! Ella couldn’t be here, so everyone who normally would dance on her side of the stage, you’re going to be with Virgil instead!” 

“Hi, Virgil!” most of the children chorused, although Patton spotted a few seeming uneasy due to the last-minute change. 

“Don’t be worried, guys, Virgil has been my friend for a very long time and he is so nice and fun- he’ll look after you all, I promise.” Patton whispered into Virgil’s ear. “We should take them into the wings now.” He nodded back. 

“Alright then, everyone! Time to go and stand by the stage! If you normally go with me, come over here! Everyone else, go with Virgil. Good luck! You’re all going to do so well!” 

In the wings, Virgil mentally prepared himself. He just had to look after these kids- easy enough, right? He could do this. As they stood, about to go on stage, two of the more extroverted children were already holding his hands. He looked across to where he could see Patton on the other side of the stage, and followed his lead for when to come on. The dance was awkward and he had no idea what was going on half of the time- Virgil knew right then and there that he would never be able to look back upon it without cringing. He was extremely glad when it was over, and he was able to go back to the dressing room and hide away in shame. There, he was met by snickering faces- of course they’d been watching on the TV. Although they were true friends and always there for him when it counted, Janus and Remus would never pass up an opportunity to laugh at the embarrassing situations Virgil managed to get himself into while at dance.

“Great job, Virge!” said Remus. “You make a great bunny rabbit.” 

“Not awkward at all,” Janus drawled sarcastically.

Patton returned a few seconds later, and collided into Virgil, hugging him tight. 

“Thank you, thank you Virgil! You were there when I most needed you, I couldn’t have done it without you, thank you thank you thank you-“ 

That had been one of the most embarrassing experiences of Virgil’s life, but it had all been worth it to help one of his oldest friends.


	7. All It Took was One Waltz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: kissing, brief mentions of anxiety, nothing else tbh this one’s just a whole bunch of fluff

Another dance that took place relatively early on in the show was the ballroom number. This time, it was an elegant, some might even say romantic waltz. The usual pairings for partnered dances were Logan and Roman, Patton and Janus, Virgil and Remus. The teachers all agreed that those were the couples that worked best, and the boys... didn’t mind dancing together in those pairings either. They were all wearing fancy suits with bowties in their respective ‘signature colours’, as the teachers liked to say. They had been assigned them a few years ago and everyone agreed that they matched their ‘energies.’ Roman’s was red, Janus’ was yellow, Remus’ was green, Patton’s light blue, Logan’s dark blue and Virgil’s was purple. For this particular dance, they all entered from different wings and each of the couples had around a minute alone together before they had to go onstage. And it wasn’t awkward at all, especially considering how hopelessly gay all six of them were. 

Remus was chuckling silently to himself. Virgil looked up at him. 

“What?” 

“Still can’t believe you wore that bunny onesie.” 

“Would you quit making fun of me?”

“I’m not!” 

“Remus, please-“ 

“Virgil, I’m genuinely not! I’m saying I admire you for what you did! You obviously didn’t want to, but Patton needed you, so you did it anyway. I honestly... I’ve never seen you in this way before.” 

What? What the hell was Remus saying? He was notoriously known for his complete lack of filter, but Virgil had always been grateful for the fact that he could take everything Remus said at complete face value- no subtext, no hidden meanings. It eased his social anxieties a bit. But what Remus had just said then seemed... different, somehow. There was nothing to read in to here, right? Right?..... 

Roman rushed into the wing after just having had a quick costume change, and Logan breathed a visible sigh of relief. 

“You’re here.” 

“Indeed I am.” Roman immediately went up to Logan and took his arm. Logan looked up at him, half-embarrassed, half-skeptical.

“We still have around thirty seconds, you know. We don’t need to be ready just yet.” 

Roman let go, looking away to hide his blush. Logan tried to change the subject in order to divert from the undeniable awkwardness between them. 

“You know, since we were allocated as dance partners I haven’t had the opportunity to lead due to the traditional rule that it must be the tallest dancer. Perhaps, one time, we could practise with me leading?” 

Roman fought a blush at the thought of him and Logan dancing together outside of the necessary rehearsals. 

“I’d like that,” he said. “And there’s not really much difference between us, height-wise, so maybe by next show you’ll be taller.” 

“Indeed, maybe, although I’ve never seen the point in traditions like that myself.” 

Patton was clinging to Janus’ arm long before they had to go onstage, and the taller boy was repressing a blush. It calmed Patton’s nerves a lot, he was always generally less nervous for any partnered dance. Having someone else to dance with was comforting, especially when it was Janus. The lights went up and the two prepared to go onstage, Janus guiding Patton into position as they bowed to each other before starting to waltz. As he led Patton across the stage, Janus thought about how much he loved dancing with the smaller boy. Patton didn’t have the natural grace or ability to effortlessly glide across the floor that dancers like Roman had, but he truly put his heart and soul into his dancing, and the two of them seemed to fit so well together in a way Janus could never quite explain. He twirled and even lifted Patton with ease, the two of them truly complimenting each other perfectly. 

Virgil and Remus were waltzing swiftly towards the front of the stage, and the taller boy saw the signs of Virgil becoming nervous, Remus assumed because of being near the audience. He let his already poor posture go and leaned in towards his partner. 

“Don’t look at them, Virge,” he said. “They don’t know anything about you, so don’t ever give them the chance to judge you. Just look at me, keep on dancing, you’re doing amazing. Just look at me, Virge.” 

Virgil did look at him, although admittedly not in the same way as he did before. He had no idea what was going on with the way he viewed Remus, but it was terrifying him to no end.

Roman and Logan’s dancing was practically perfection, and they captured the attention of most of the audience. Posture, footwork, seemingly effortless grace- it had all the ingredients for a flawless ballroom waltz. However, not in the eyes of these two perfectionists. 

“You forgot a heel lead,” Roman critiqued Logan under his breath. 

“Well, you’re not quite straight,” Logan retorted. 

Roman looked into Logan’s eyes with an expression the slightly shorter one couldn’t read. 

“You’re right, I’m really not,” he said. 

Logan became immediately flustered. “I meant your posture!” he snapped. 

“I know,” Roman chuckled, as he led Logan into a series of fast turns, preventing them from speaking any further.

Patton kept smiling at Janus as they waltzed, the other trying his best to deny the flutter in his gut every time the shorter boy beamed at him. Patton’s energy and positivity had definitely been a good constant for him throughout rehearsals. He was truly someone Janus could rely on, and he struggled to imagine a better dance partner. 

Both Patton and Janus were secretly extremely disappointed when the dance came to an end and they walked off stage arm in arm, knowing they’d soon have to let go. Janus didn’t know what had overcome him- perhaps it was the pressure of performing, maybe it was just the romantic atmosphere and the fact that they’d been waltzing together, or perhaps he’d accidentally inhaled a few too many hairspray fumes, but, as they walked back towards the dressing room, he found himself leaning towards Patton and kissing him on the lips. Patton immediately froze with shock. Janus soon came back to his senses and pulled away, a realisation hitting him like a bus. He loved Patton. Cute, sweet, innocent, kind, selfless Patton. Patton who he’d been dancing with for years, leading to him only falling more desperately and hopelessly in love with him. And... oh, great job Janus! So much for keeping it a secret and never acting on it! He couldn’t believe what he’d just done.Patton was simply looking up at him, eyes wide, mouth gaping in surprise. When Janus finally caught his eye, he melted into giggles. 

“Looks like we’re gonna have to redo our lipstick, huh?” 

“And that’s... your only complaint?” Janus dared to ask.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Patton shrugged, before collapsing into his dance partner, hugging him tight. Janus gladly reciprocated, unable to believe how lucky he was to have the sweet, kind boy he loved so much seemingly like him back. 

The two of them returned to the dressing room, covering their mouths with their hands to hide their smudged lipstick. 

Janus quickly ducked into the room, sneakily grabbed his makeup bag and Patton’s lipstick and exited again, taking Patton to the bathrooms in order to redo their lipstick in secret. Before covering up the evidence, however, they shared one last kiss, with hopes of perhaps more to come after the show. Janus looked in the mirror to do his own lipstick, and placed his hand under Patton’s chin while doing his. Patton was pretty bad at staying still normally, but this time was another level- he became a giggling, blushing mess every time Janus so much as looked at him. 

“So,” Patton said. “You kissed me.” 

“That I did,” chuckled Janus. “I... I think I’ve always loved you, Patton.” 

The smaller boy’s blush was visible even beneath his heavy foundation. 

“I think I love you too,” he said. 

“Patton, would you be my... partner?” 

“We’re already dance partners, silly!” 

Janus raised an eyebrow, waiting for Patton to realise.

“Oh. Oh, you mean like... yeah, Jan, I’d love to.” 

Patton closed the distance between him and Janus and the other held him tight, the two of them doing a mini waltz around the bathrooms for a few minutes before having to return to the dressing room and prepare for their next dances.


	8. Dreaming of Dancing With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: low self esteem, kissing
> 
> A/N: this chapter is long because it covers a lot of stuff... now that I think about it I probably should have put this into two separate chapters, but oh well! This’ll probably be the longest chapter in the whole fic, so enjoy! And buckle up, because like I said, a lot of stuff goes down in this one

Dance shows were somewhat of a whirlwind of glitter and makeup for Roman. It was hard to find a minute to collect his thoughts in the midst of this hurricane in which he could somehow find a rhythm. It went a little something like this: dance your heart out onstage, get changed at near impossible speed, repeat. That wasn’t to imply, however, that he didn’t love every second of it. To him, dance was far more than just a hobby. It was a passion, a part of him- every time he went up on that stage he felt like his destiny was calling him, and only by going out there, dancing to the very best of his ability and having the time of his goddamn life could he truly fulfil it. He had no doubts about the fact that a career in professional dance was the right path for him. Dance had brought him so many amazing things- priceless memories that would last a lifetime, a medium in which to express himself, a circle of friends for whom he would do just about anything, and... the chance to fall in love with the only other dancer who rivalled his technical precision. Logan Berry, Roman couldn’t think of him without swooning a little. He was head over heels for the stoic boy- Logan’s dancing was perfect on every level, and his personality had a charm that Roman could only describe as irresistible. So many times, Roman had missed his cue or forgotten steps due to being distracted by gazing at Logan. So many times, Roman had been overcome with joy at being partnered with him and looked forward to every ballroom rehearsal for the chance to waltz his adorable nerd around the studio. So many times, Roman had wanted to tell his dance partner how he truly felt, but had become too nervous at the last minute. He’d been practically heartbroken a few hours ago when Logan had confessed all those insecurities to him- how could someone so perfect think so little of himself? But Roman couldn’t afford to let his feelings distract him at a time like this. After enjoying performing the ballroom routine with Logan one last time, he had another dance swiftly afterwards and had to be ready quickly. No room to be thinking about anything else. Dance, change costume, repeat. 

After the ballroom number, Logan decided to take a short break and stand outside the dressing room for a while. Waltzing with Roman on the stage, with all the lights and the music and the romantic atmosphere had made him a little emotional. Logan was not an expert in feelings but he did know that he liked Roman a whole lot. He was an amazing dancer, and charismatic enough to sweep anyone off their feet. But, for the past few years, Logan had been lucky enough for it to be him. He doubted Roman could ever feel the same- why would someone as popular and charming as Roman ever like someone as nerdy and awkward as him? He just thanked his lucky stars that he got to experience dancing with Roman, hoped that his fortune would continue, and that they’d be partnered together again, and never expected anything more to happen between them. 

Just at that moment, Roman himself came stumbling out of the dressing room corridor, already wearing his next costume... or just about. Logan noticed immediately that his laces were untied. As Roman began descending the small staircase that Logan was at the bottom of, he immediately tripped over his lace and came falling down. Luckily, Logan had unnaturally quick reflexes and was able to run towards the stairs and catch his prince. Roman instinctively wrapped his arms around Logan’s back to support himself, their faces were suddenly extremely close together. Logan felt the heat rise to his as he saw Roman blush as well. He did his best not to cringe at the awkwardness. 

“I- I- Ro-“ he stammered, hardly able to form words. He was carrying Roman Kingsley. Perfect, handsome, charming Roman Kingsley was in his arms, staring right into his eyes. Logan, what are you doing, kiss him you idiot! Without even thinking about it, Logan leaned in and kissed Roman on the lips. He pulled back almost immediately, what on Earth had he been thinking?! He placed the other back onto the ground, regret washing over him like a tidal wave.

“Roman, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ 

Roman placed a hand firmly on Logan’s shoulder.   
“Logan. It’s fine. Trust me, it’s absolutely fine. In fact, it’s way more than fine...” 

Logan’s breath hitched in shock.   
“Wha... you... like me back?” he said, barely audible. 

“You like me?!” Roman said, much louder, forgetting to control his volume in his shock. 

“Would you keep your voice down?!” Logan hissed. 

“Sorry...” Roman said. 

“So, let us review,” said Logan. “I like you. A lot.”

“And I like you a lot too,” Roman said, looking down and smiling sheepishly. 

“So... do you want to be... you know...” 

Roman lovingly placed a finger on Logan’s lip, smiling that wonderful smile of his. 

“I do, Logan. I really do.” 

This intimate moment between them was abruptly interrupted as the door that led to backstage was flung open to reveal Mr Picani, looking panicked. 

“There you are, Roman!” he almost shouted, now looking visibly relieved at the sight of the school’s best dancer. “What have you been doing?! You’re on in like twenty seconds, come on over here!” 

“Oh, right!” Roman said, running to take his place in the wings. 

Logan sighed fondly. “Tie your shoes before you go on stage!” he shouted after his... boyfriend?

“Thanks, Logan!” Roman shouted back. Logan could barely believe what had just happened, but he still couldn’t stop himself from staring after Roman, grinning like an idiot. Yep, he was the luckiest guy in the whole world... 

Logan stayed in the same spot until Roman returned from his dance, unable to wait to talk to him again. He came back towards Logan, smiling brightly. 

“How did it go?” Logan asked. 

“Brilliant!” Roman said. “I honestly couldn’t stop smiling...” he admitted shyly. 

Logan blushed a little as Roman took his arm.   
“Shall we go?” he asked. 

Logan sighed. “Dork.”

“Nerd.” 

“Prep.” 

“Oh, come on, you love me.” 

“You’re... not exactly wrong there.” 

Roman blushed furiously at hearing that for the first time. “I love you too, Logan.” 

However, although they might have thought so, the shocking developments of the day were not over for Logan and Roman. As soon as they arrived in the dressing room, they saw Patton perched in Janus’ lap as the latter played with the smaller boy’s hair, both of them already in their ballet costumes. The taller boys’ mouths gaped open in surprise. It seemed they weren’t the only ones to realise their feelings for each other during the show. When they saw the other two enter, Patton and Janus both immediately sprang up. 

“It’s not what it looks like!” Janus cried out. 

“Ye-yeah! W-we, uh, we w-were j-just!” Patton stammered, desperately looking to Janus for help. 

“Umm... I was parting Patton’s hair into position for the ballet dance?” Janus said, giving the best excuse he could think of on the spot.

“That still doesn’t explain why he was in your lap,” Logan deadpanned. 

“I... um... we... uh... I...” Patton trailed off, completely at a loss for words. “Janus, I don’t think there’s any getting out of this,” he sighed.

“What? Guys, what’s going on?” Roman asked. 

“Alright, alright,” Janus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re right, Pat, I don’t think there’s any way we can lie about this now. So Logan, Roman- here’s the truth. I’ve been in love with Patton for months. I kissed him and confessed my feelings after the ballroom dance earlier.” 

Patton walked back towards him, leaning into his boyfriend as Janus put his arm around him. “And I told him I loved him too!” Patton said through his giggles. “Because I do... a whole lot.” 

“Oh my gosh, guys, that’s so sweet,” Roman said, overwhelmingly happy and excited for his two friends. “This is just awesome news And, speaking of!” he continued, unable to wait to share his news with his two closest friends. “Logan and I... are actually dating too now!” 

“Roman!” Logan spluttered, quickly turning bright red.   
“Oh gosh sorry, I didn’t realise we weren’t telling people...” Roman said. “Jeez, I’m so sorry Lo...” he hid his head in his hands. 

Logan sighed. “It is... alright, Roman. Although, Janus and Patton, I would appreciate it if we could keep this between us for the time being.” 

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Janus assured him.   
“Of course. And congratulations, guys!” Patton chirped.   
After the conversation subsided, Patton returned to Janus’ lap, and the other two sat down with Logan’s head resting on Roman’s shoulder. It was a good few minutes until someone spoke up again. 

“Hey, where are Remus and Virgil?” Roman asked.   
“Oh, they went to the foyer to get some snacks before the audience go and buy them all in the interval,” Janus stated. 

“If I am correct, we were explicitly told by the teachers that we aren’t allowed to do that,” Logan said. 

“Yeah, Remus knows that,” Roman said. “Not that he really cares...”

Patton looked slightly confused. “Shouldn’t they be back by-“ 

“What the hell is going on here?!” Remus said, as he and Virgil burst through the door of the dressing room, each carrying an armful of snacks. 

“As if on cue,” Janus said sarcastically, as neither Patton nor the other two made any attempt to cover up what was going on. 

“What the heck did we miss?!” Virgil said. 

“Yeah!” said Remus. “We seem to have missed the memo on your random impromptu cuddle party or whatever the hell this is! I’m assuming that’s all that’s going on here...” he looked suspiciously at them. 

The two couples looked at each other in silent agreement, knowing that, from now on, if they truly wanted this to be a secret, they’d have to be more careful.

“No... that’s not all that’s going on here,” Logan spoke up. “Roman and I... we’re together now.” 

“And so are me and Patton,” said Janus. 

“Surprise!” Roman said weakly, while doing jazz hands. 

“Jeez, not quite what I expected but I can’t say I’m surprised,” Remus said. “Like Ro, I’ve known about your crush on Lo for ages even though you didn’t tell me. And Patton, how could you not have noticed the way Jan Jan looks at you?” 

The four of them blushed furiously. Virgil was still unable to speak as his eyes bulged in shock at the news. 

“You ok, Virge?” Patton asked, tilting his head in concern.

“Yeah, I’m good, just a little surprised I guess...” 

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold up a second!” Remus interrupted, sounding as if he’d just been struck by a genius idea. “So Pat and Janus are together, and you two nerds are also together... meaning me and Virge are the only two left over...” he finger-gunned towards Virgil, grinning in a way that was half-cunning, half-flirtatious.  
Virgil began to laugh nervously. 

“Stop right there, garbage man, I can see where this is going, and, let me tell ya, it’s not gonna-“ 

“Oh, come on, Virge, would it really be that bad?! I... I like you a lot, and if you want to, I’d love to give us a try...” he admitted, not caring that he was in front of everyone although going a little quiet at the end.   
Virgil backed away, holding his hands up in defence, his nervous laughter intensifying. 

“No, I really don’t think so,” he said, exiting the dressing room and seemingly going for a walk down the corridor.   
Remus sank down into a chair, looking deflated. 

“We’re sorry, Remus...” Patton said. 

“Nah, it’s fine, if he didn’t want to then that’s that. I don’t even know, I suppose I liked him for a while, just never fully realised it until now,” Remus admitted- being completely open and honest about his feelings was one of his strengths.

“Sometimes love works like that,” Roman mused. 

Suddenly, Virgil came stomping back into the room, keeping his gaze towards the floor. All eyes were on him as they awaited whatever he was going to say. 

“... you know what, fine,” he blurted out, still refusing to meet the eyes of the others. “Remus, I like you a lot too, I got a little overwhelmed just then but I really think I do wanna try dating you, and I’m just telling you all of this now before my anxiety can try to stop me.” He finally worked up the courage to look at Remus, whose face was breaking out into a bright grin. 

“Virge, I’m so happy!” he said, letting his anxious now-boyfriend lean into him as he placed his arm around Virgil, once again reassuring him that everything was okay. He sighed and pouted a little. 

“Don’t make me regret this, trash man.”

For the next few minutes, before having to get properly ready for the ballet routine, all six of them sat, talked and enjoyed the moment of calm while it lasted. They counted themselves as the luckiest people in the whole world, to have the chance to dance and perform, to have met such amazing friends through what had become so much more than just a hobby, and even to each fall in love with one of their fellow dancers, and realise these feelings in one of the most romantic settings possible- waltzing together on a grand stage. Despite the hundreds of people that had been watching them, Janus and Patton, Roman and Logan, Virgil and Remus- they only had eyes for each other...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: all the ships are finally sailing! Hope it was worth it


	9. I’ll Be There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: repression, anxiety and stress

Before anyone knew it, it was the interval. Everyone was making the most of the short break they had, and the dressing room was just as frantic as it had been while the performance had still been happening, with everyone preparing costumes and accessories for the second half of the chaos. Remus had somehow managed to smudge all of his makeup again, and a scene was unfolding as Janus attempted to reapply it. 

“Remus, you have to stay still or I’ll just smudge it even more.” 

“I think it looks better smudged!” he huffed, as he refused to un-crinkle his eyelids. 

“Well, I believe the teachers would beg to differ!” Janus almost hissed as he once again leaned over Remus, trying to apply his eyeshadow as the other teen squirmed. 

“For the love of all that is holy, stay still!”

“Never!” 

“Remus!” 

Janus sighed as he finally gave in. “It’s not great, but I think that’s the best we’re going to get.” he said with a small chuckle as Remus blew a raspberry at him, thus ruining his lipstick once again. 

Patton was sat quietly, preparing some of his costumes. The second half had some of his favourite routines that he couldn’t wait to perform, and it was smooth sailing for him now... well, mostly. He still had that back-to-back costume change that’d gone so horribly wrong at tech rehearsal. What he had to accomplish seemed impossible. He’d had bad costume changes before, but this time, Patton had officially deemed it “too much”. He liked to think that dancers like him always found a way, and Patton almost believed that maybe he could’ve been ready in time earlier if they hadn’t lost his shoe. However, in the darkness and panic backstage, mistakes like that were very easily made and one tiny slip-up could ruin the whole operation and Patton’s whole next dance. His mind wouldn’t stop racing through what-ifs and the anxiety was eating him alive. He tried to push it down- he knew everyone else was stressed right now, and no one wanted to hear him whining like a baby- costume changes like Patton’s really were nothing uncommon in the world of dance. He’d just have to deal with the anxiety, and when the time came, hope for the b- 

“Patton? You’ve been awfully quiet,” Patton almost jumped as he felt his boyfriend’s hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his trance. 

“Hey, Jan,” Patton said quietly. 

“Are you alright?” Janus asked gently. 

“Yeah, fine,” Patton said, not meeting his eyes. 

Janus raised an eyebrow, not buying Patton’s act. 

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that? I’m fine, I swear!” he held his hands up in self-defence. 

“You really think I can’t smell a lie a mile away?” 

“Janus-“

“You know you can tell me anything, right? Patton, please don’t suffer in silence.” 

Patton sighed, defeated. “I’m really nervous. My costume change went terribly earlier, I don’t even know if it’s possible... I’ve put my heart and soul into this show and I just really, really want to get it right. And the anxiety is killing me... isn’t that silly?” he looked at Janus sheepishly, who gave him a sympathetic glance. 

“No, Patton, that’s not silly at all. After how hard you’ve worked, you just want this to go perfectly. I get it, I really do.” He pulled Patton into his lap once again. “But you are... aware of the nature of your costume change?” 

“Aware? It’s been haunting my nightmares for months,” Patton said with a small chuckle. 

“Put it this way, if I had to do this, I’d be nervous,” Janus said. “You’ve gotten seriously unlucky... but,” he gave a quick glance to Logan’s spreadsheet (which had proved extremely useful), mentally reminding himself to thank his nerdy friend for making it later, “I’m going to be there for you. I have a short break, and I’m going to be there.”

“Janus, you don’t need to-“ 

“I’m going to help you. Are these the shoes and hat you need? And is this the jacket?”

Patton nodded nervously. 

“Perfect, I’ll bring them, and I’ll be there. I promise. Mark my words, Patton, I will get you on that stage on time.” 

Patton knew Janus was making promises he probably wouldn’t be able to keep, but he really appreciated his boyfriend’s efforts to help him feel better. Although he was less nervous now, his anxiety wasn’t gone altogether, but he was left with a glimmer of hope. 

“Us dancers always find a way,” he said to Janus, looking up at him with a smile. 

“That we do, Patton. That we do...” 

“Hey, look, look!” Remus said, pointing to the TV, which had been yet another useful addition to the dressing room. “The second half’s started!” 

The others came to look at the screen, and they were right- the stage was once again alight with a performance. Upon noticing this, Roman immediately grabbed a hairspray can and quickly sprayed his hair, before fixing his outfit in front of the mirror. 

“I’m on next,” he said, as he checked his laces. “I should probably go.” 

“Good luck,” Logan said. “Not that you’ll need it,” he added more quietly. 

Roman blew a kiss to Logan on his way out to avoid spoiling his lipstick, earning a few fake gagging noises from Remus and Virgil.   
Roman promptly exited the dressing room with everyone else staring after him before continuing to prepare for their own dances in the second half. 

Here we go again, Patton thought...


	10. Twin Duet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: slapstick attempted violence, oh no everyone hide she’s trying to write comedy again

Not long into the second act, it was time for Roman and Remus’ twin duet. Over the past few years, this had become a tradition at performances, by popular demand of the audience. With some interesting choreography and complimenting costumes, Roman and Remus could easily deliver a very entertaining duet routine. This time, they were playing a rival Prince and Duke in a dramatic routine with lots of mirror imagery- the costumes were glittery with bold colours, Roman’s in red and white and Remus’ in black and green. They also had props- a katana and a mace, for a few moments of choreographed stage combat. Remus had begged and begged the teachers to wear a fake moustache on stage for this routine, and after being met with refusal countless times, that was when he’d started to grow a real one, and refused to shave it for the show. 

“Remus, are you ready for our duet our what?” Roman asked, already standing by the dressing room door in full costume. 

“Relax, bro, we’ve got ages!” 

“No you don’t, you’re on next,” Logan said, knowing this without even looking at the spreadsheet. At this point, Remus was tying one of his shoes, Virgil the other, Janus doing some last-minute additions to his makeup and Patton spraying his hair. He’d actually had ages to prepare for his and Roman’s routine but had left it too late, leading to this scrambled operation from everyone to get him ready in time. When he finally made it out the door, Roman cast everyone else a brief frustrated expression before dashing towards the stage, the sound of audience applause already signalling them that they had not a moment to lose. 

Now all the other four could do was watch the twins’ duet from the dressing room on Janus’ TV, hoping that all the brothers’ hard work would pay off. The lights came up on Roman and Remus, both in position for their routine. As they began to dance across the stage, everyone noticed their synchronisation beginning to break. Roman was impeccably in time with the music as always, but Remus was lagging behind as he seemed to be trying to get in Roman’s way, purposefully sabotaging the routine. Roman performed spin after leap with perfect technique while Remus got in his way over and over again, the one in red either dodging it or making it look like part of the dance, his presentation never faltering. The boys, watching in the dressing room, flinched at every near miss, yet Virgil actually began to chuckle. Janus also soon began to see the humorous nature of the situation, Remus deliberately sabotaging his twin’s routine... or trying to. To someone who didn’t know how the routine was supposed to go, Roman still looked to be flawlessly in time, his technique never ever failing him. Patton watched, in awe, as he dodged yet another of Remus’ swings with his fake mace. 

“I didn’t know Roman could to a backflip,” the shortest mused. 

“From the look on his face neither did he,” Janus said, burying his face in his hands at the antics, laughter slowly but surely spreading among the dancers as they watched the scene unfold. 

The routine finally concluded and the stage faded to black, the sounds of angry shouting moving further and further towards the dressing room. 

“What the hell was that for Remus?!” 

“I dunno bro, just felt like it! You dealt with it way better than I thought you would, like I’d be surprised if the audience suspected a thing!” 

“My impeccable performance skills are not the point here, Remus! Why did you deliberately swing that.... spike ball thing at me when it wasn’t even choreographed?!” 

“No reason! Like I’ve said, there is no rhyme or reason to what i do, I just do! And what I do is wreak havoc! Although I failed to accomplish that today, thanks to Mister Perfect Dancer Boy over here and his... almost concerningly fast reflexes.” 

Roman sunk down into his chair and huffed. “You are insufferable!” he hissed.

“Aww, bro, you’re too kind!” Remus said, descending into maniacal giggling. Roman sighed deeply, with another dance just a few minutes away and no time to dwell on his brother’s antics. He smiled at the thought that the boys’ next dance would contain Logan’s infamous tap solo...


	11. Logan Berry: Dancer, Techie, Organiser... Boyfriend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: mild curse word 
> 
> A/N: .... did anyone order logince?

Harrison and Bailey were the two techies stationed at stage left of the theatre where the show was taking place, however their distinct personalities had earned them the nicknames Heart and Brain. The two had become inseparable throughout their time managing the theatre lighting and made a great team, Brain making sure every performer could be seen and Heart adding the symbolism and meanings to the lighting designs. Heart loved his job and was awed at getting such a close view of every performance that came and went from their theatre. Earlier in the show, during the ballroom dance, Heart had been watching the routine with curiosity. 

“Brain, hey Brain!” he whispered, nudging his partner. 

Brain sighed. “Yes, Heart?” they asked, turning to him. 

“Look, look! That little guy in light blue, with the freckles and glasses! The really short one!” 

“I see, yes.” 

“Look how he looks at his partner. Brain, he’s in loooooveee!!!” 

“I do see the signs, yes,” Brain replied. “How he never takes his eyes off of him, and the smiling and blushing. However his partner, the one in yellow, is probably doing it even more.” 

“OH MY GOSH, YOU’RE SO RIGHT!”

“Heart, keep your voice down!” 

“Sorry... but I totally see what you mean! Those two are absolutely smitten, it’s so cute! Oooohhh, let’s see if we can spot any other couples!” 

“Over there, those two,” Brain said immediately. “Both really tall, one in red, one in dark blue.” 

“Oh my gosh yeeessss!! They’re both such good dancers as well! It’s almost like they’re trying to impress each other. They make such a perfect couple, Brain!”

The other gave a small smile. 

“Oh and look, over there! Green and purple, green and purple!” 

“Ah yes, although their dancing skills are more... lacking, shall one say?” 

Heart nudged them lightly. “Don’t be mean! They don’t have to be perfect dancers, but you can see they’re supporting each other and both trying their best. I bet they really take care of each other.” 

Brain moved closer to their partner. “Like I take care of you?” 

“Braiiiinnnnn! Not nowwww!” Heart whined, blushing.

“I apologise. Let’s leave the romancing to them, shall we?” they said, gesturing to the three waltzing couples. 

Back at the current stage in the show, well into the second half, Logan and Roman were waiting in the wings for the tap dance, containing Logan’s big solo. His tap solos were fast, furious and one missed beat could ruin the whole thing. However he always seemed to execute them perfectly, captivating every single audience member with his rhythmic and technical precision. 

“Are you nervous?” 

“Slightly, although thanks to your talk earlier I now have no doubt that I am capable of doing this.” 

“That’s the spirit, Lo! You’re gonna do amazing! And don’t forget I’ll be supporting you all the way.” 

“Thank you Roman...” 

The lights came up and the music began, signalling the start of the routine. The main part of the dance went well, everyone putting in their all with the technique and performance, delivering a great routine. Towards the end, all the other dancers retired to the back of the stage, ready for Logan’s solo. 

“You can do this Logan,” he swore he heard Remus say

“Show everyone how great you are!” Patton’s voice came in his head. 

“You got this, you nerd,” Virgil seemed to tell him. 

“You are a fantastic dancer, never doubt yourself,” Janus’ voice said. 

“Logan... I love you,” were the final words Logan heard from Roman. 

They were all right. He could do this. Step... prepare... five, six, seven, eight- 

The rest of the dancers watched with pride as Logan began his tap solo, most of them barely following the moves he seemed to be doing at hyper-speed. Logan did move after move perfectly in time, never once missing a beat, tapping out an extremely fast and complex rhythm with his shoes. The audience watched, in awe... they weren’t the only ones. Roman stood, watching his boyfriend, mesmerised... 

“God, I love that tap-dancing nerd...” 

There was little time to marvel over Logan’s skills after the routine, as most of the dancers had another routine soon, Roman almost immediately. After his very intense solo, Logan took a walk around backstage in order to catch his breath back a bit. While wandering around stage left, he overheard a couple of the techies talking. 

“Oh no, Brain, it looks like the centre-stage spotlight is broken!” the shorter of the two techies said.

The other, taller techie winced. “That is the spotlight we need for the next dance, the best dancer in the school is performing a solo. What will we do?” 

“I dunno, Brain, maybe we could try-“ 

Logan pondered. The best dancer in the school... they must be talking about Roman. Logan recalled his boyfriend did indeed have a solo as part of the next routine, and the broken spotlight would bring him even more unneeded stress. Logan himself had some tech skills. He sighed- it was worth a shot. He approached the techies, the tap shoes he was still wearing tapping against the floor. 

“Salutations,” he said. “I overheard that the two of you were having an issue?”

“Aren’t you one of the dancers?” the taller techie (Brain?) asked. 

“Indeed I am, however I thought I may be able to assist you with the broken spotlight problem.” 

“I dunno, I mean we’re really not supposed to let performers use the lighting unit, let alone kids...” said the smaller techie Logan believed to be called Heart.

“I am sixteen, there is no need to belittle me or act like I don’t know anything.” 

“Oh, no, I wasn’t trying to belittle you or anything! I just don’t think there’s anything any of us can do about this.”

“I agree,” said Brain. “The dancer will just have to dance without his spotlight.” 

That made Logan livid. He knew full well that Roman, his boyfriend, deserved only the best. He was a stunning dancer and deserved to perform under the most flattering conditions, so everyone could see just how amazing he was. And if no one else could provide that for him, Logan was more than willing to take it into his own hands. 

“Look, okay? We have a few minutes until the spotlight is needed, and I don’t need to be onstage for a while now. I think you’ll find that it is very much possible, and that I will be fixing this spotlight.” 

He stamped his tap shoe on the floor in determination, making Heart jump and cower behind his partner. Even Brain took a step back, in shock.

“He’s being scary! It’s like those really demanding people from the posh ballet school all over again! Brain, do something!” 

Brain shrugged. 

“I trust the guy. Go ahead and see what you can do, umm...” 

“Logan. Logan Berry.” 

“I think you can fix it, Logan,” Brain said. 

“Me too, I believe in you!” Heart chirped. 

The problem was relatively simple, and Logan had it fixed within a few minutes, and the techies did not do well at hiding their shock. 

“Wow... you actually fixed it,” Brain said, looking over the lighting unit then giving Logan an impressed glance.

“Oh my goodness you did it!” Heart half-squealed. “Logan you are so clever and kind and skilful and selfless and helpful and smart and you saved our butts and you-“

Just as Heart looked as if he were about to lurch forwards and hug Logan, Brain placed a calming hand on their partner’s shoulder. 

“Heart. Calm. Remember to be professional.” 

“Sorrryyyy,” Heart shrank back, a blush dusting his freckled face. 

Logan smiled. “You are very welcome.... I should probably return to my dressing room now. I don’t doubt that some catastrophe may have occurred in my absence.” 

Brain chuckled. “My sincere thanks, Logan, we couldn’t have done this without you.” 

Logan smiled, one of his rare, genuine, not just plastered on for a performance smiles. “You are most welcome.” 

Roman was already dashing out of the dressing room when Logan returned. He stumbled towards him and frantically placed his hands on his boyfriend’s shoulders.

“Logan! I heard about some trouble with lighting, is everything ok back there?” 

“Yes, do not worry, everything is fine now,” Logan replied, however his words did not have their desired calming effect. 

Roman immediately frowned. “What do you mean ‘now’?”

“Oh, there was a small trouble regarding a spotlight for the next dance, but I managed to fix it, nothing major really. I merely examined the lighting unit, I spotted the issue and it was quite simple so I recalibrated the...” 

Logan’s words tailed off as he took in the look on his boyfriend’s face. “...wh-what’s the matter?” 

“Logan... you did all that so I could have my spotlight?”

“Well, of course... because I love you-“ 

Logan was immediately cut off by Roman throwing his arms around him, holding him tight as he seemed to fight back tears. 

“Thank you. Logan... you didn’t have to do that... I... has anyone ever told you how incredible you are?” 

No words were necessary, as they both held each other tight, forgetting for a moment the chaos ensuing around them, as everything melted away into- 

“ROMAN! So that’s where you’ve been!” Emile Picani once again thrust his head through the backstage door, this time looking even more infuriated than the last. “You’re literally on right now, we’ve had to stall the music for you! Get your ass in here now!” 

Logan and Roman exchanged a shocked glance. If Emile swears at you, you know you’re in for it. Roman began sprinting towards the stage without a word. Logan was left stunned, with more confidence than he could remember having in a long time. He stood there, grinning like an idiot for a good few seconds until Remus approached him, mockingly wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Jeez, dude, stop simping for my bother,” he said, causing Logan to blush bright red and snap back into his usual serious manner. 

“Remus, cut it out,” he snapped. “You should be getting ready, we all have the big group number soon, where’s everyone else?” 

Remus gestured awkwardly inside the dressing room. “Comforting Patton,” he whispered. 

Logan suddenly remembered the bold red mark he had put on Patton’s column of the spreadsheet, the seemingly impossible feat his childhood friend had been anxious about for months. He sighed. 

“Then I suggest we join them...”


	12. The Most Stressful 20 Seconds of Patton’s Life So Far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Nausea, anxiety, stress, mentions of food, cursing, caps 
> 
> A/N: this is it folks! Everyone wish Patton good luck, (he’s gonna need it...)

Patton swore he was about to be sick. Waiting in the wings for the first of his back-to-back dances, wearing his next costume underneath his current one, not even Janus’ arms around his waist and soothing voice in his ears could calm his nerves. His breathing became erratic as he felt tears well in his eyes. Janus took his face in his hands. 

“Here now, it’s ok. Don’t cry, your makeup will run.” 

Patton violently shook his head. “Janus I can’t do this. It’s gonna fail, and I’m gonna miss my next dance, and all that hard work will be for nothing-“ 

“Patton Hart, you listen to me. Everything is going to be fine. I am here, and I will get you through this.” 

Patton nodded but didn’t seem convinced, but it was too late for Janus to try and comfort him any further as suddenly the sound of applause filled Patton’s ears. Janus hugged him tight. 

“I’ll meet you round the other side of the stage. Good luck, darling.” 

Patton nodded as Janus left him. He truly was in this alone now. This had to go perfectly. It was now or never. 

Patton pushed all his fears and anxieties down as the music began, plastering on a big smile as he walked on stage, ready to attack this energetic and fast-tempo dance with everything he had. He’d always enjoyed the more upbeat dance styles, they were much easier for someone of his short stature. Because he was so small, he struggled with the more lyrical and graceful styles- he only really enjoyed ballroom due to being partnered with Janus, he had no idea how dancers like Roman made it look so easy. This routine, however, was more up Patton’s street- it was extremely fast-paced and incorporated elements of jive with lots of kicks and leaps- it was probably one of Patton’s favourites he had ever danced... it would be great if all this impending anxiety and dread could just give it a rest. Patton’s stamina had significantly improved since he started rehearsing this routine, although it still wasn’t anywhere near on the level of Roman’s, Patton knew that wasn’t the real reason his heart rate began steadily climbing towards the second half of the routine. He performed the final steps and beamed out to the audience as he struck the final pose, taking in the sound of applause with pride. But as soon as the lights fell all of that collapsed, and he sprinted off stage faster than he’d ever ran in his life. 

Janus, Remus, Virgil and a few others were gathered around a chair waiting for him, each holding an accessory for his next costume. Patton dove into the seat, holding out his arms and legs as about six people swarmed his vision, and he felt his shoelaces loosen and his shoes fall off. 

“Virgil, take off his bowtie!”

“Who’s got his hat?!”

“Put on that other shoe!” 

“Careful with his makeup!” 

“Tie it faster!” 

“Hurry up!” 

“We can’t stall the music much longer-“ 

“Five seconds!” 

The only coherent thought Patton managed to have throughout this process was “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone tie shoes so fast in my life...” When he was in it to help one of his friends, Remus always pulled it out of the bag. Tying dance shoes at hyperspeed was apparently one of his hidden talents. 

A tap on the shoulder from Janus signalled to Patton that he was ready to go, and as he arrived in the wing ready for his next dance, looking himself up and down to give his costume a final check, it dawned upon him that he was actually early. He strolled out onto the stage, beaming with pride, ready to dance his heart out once again. Before arriving in his position on stage, he locked eyes with Roman (also in this dance) for a split second who grinned at him and seemed to say “you made it!” And Patton grinned back. Transforming his outfit in twenty seconds, mastering the art of telepathy, Patton seemed to have achieved it all on that night. What had once seemed impossible, helped by his amazing friends, somehow, he had managed it. And now, once again, he was doing what he loved, performing amazing dance routines on a grand stage. Patton had never felt more on top of the world... 

Upon return to the dressing room, Patton launched himself at Janus, babbling words of thanks into his shoulders. Janus merely said. 

“Don’t mention it, Patton. It was my pleasure to help you, my love. I couldn’t have asked for a better dance partner these last few months.” 

Patton beamed up at him. 

“Me either. I love you too.” 

Janus suddenly looked as if struck by an idea.   
“You know what you deserve?” 

Patton tilted his head to the side, giving that damn innocently curious look he’d given all those months ago when Janus had first taught him the waltz, when he’d first fallen in love with him. He gave the smaller boy a fond smile. 

“Pizza.” 

Patton’s face lit up in a bright smile and he began clapping his hands together at some impossible frequency. Then his face fell a little. 

“Aww, Janus that’s such a sweet idea, and I am a little hungry but I don’t think we’re allowed to-“   
But it was too late, Janus was already phoning the pizza place. 

“Hello, can I place an order please?... could I have two margaritas, two vegetarians, one with ham and pineapple... for the tasteless gremlin over here,” Janus mumbled, giving Remus a derogatory glance, “and...” Janus placed his hand over the microphone to call across the dressing room 

“Hey Roman what kind of pizza do you want?” 

There was currently a full-scale operation going on across the room to get both twins ready for a dance, Roman turned away from the mirror for a second to shout “Pepperoni please!” before bolting it out of the dressing room towards the stage.

Janus picked up the phone again. “And one with pepperoni please. Oh, delivery address... uhm... you can just bring it to the theatre foyer. Yes, the theatre. Yeah, the big one in the town square. No, this isn’t a prank! I just want pizza!” 

Patton chuckled into his sleeve as Janus began to look frustrated. 

“Thank you, have a nice evening.” Janus hung up.

“Should be here in just over twenty minutes... that should be basically straight after the show finishes.” 

“We’ll have to get to the foyer quickly, then.” 

“We’ll work something out-“

“LOGAN HELP I CAN’T GET MY SHOE ON!” 

“Remus what the hell do you mean?” 

“I CAN’T TIE IT UP THE LACE HAS SNAPPED!” 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S SNAPPED?!” 

“I MEANT WHAT I SAID! LO YOU’VE GOTTA HELP!”

“REMUS KINGSLEY I FUCKING SWEAR TO GOD-“ 

Patton and Janus watched the commotion unfold as Logan took the lace out of Remus’ shoe that was indeed completely snapped in half, while Virgil watched helplessly. 

“How the fuck have you done that?!” Virgil asked. 

“Lecture me later, this is kinda time sensitive!” Remus yelled. He was somehow never ready for his dances in time, despite him having much fewer of them compared to Roman.

“We’re about the same size, just bloody take mine,” said Janus, throwing his left shoe across the room while Patton swore he heard Virgil say “yeet” under his breath. 

Logan caught it and gave it to Remus, before going to sit in his chair and lean his head against the mirror while pinching the bridge of his nose and taking deep breaths. Janus couldn’t help but laugh at this while Virgil helped Remus tie his laces before he raced out of the room, now wearing one of his own shoes and one of Janus’. Patton laughed out loud because now he could rest easy, with only a couple more dances to go and the promise of pizza afterwards, and the knowledge that he just did something he once thought to be impossible.


	13. Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: none I think, just one extremely mushy moment!

Logan adjusted his sparkling navy blue bowtie as he drew one last firm tick on his spreadsheet. The musical theatre number was over, as had been signalled by Patton and Roman skipping back into the dressing room arm in arm, still joyfully singing ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’, which had been the concluding song of the Hairspray medley they had just performed. This was it. For all of them, just one dance remained. They were dressed in their ballroom suits once again, as the teachers loved the bright colours and felt these dazzling outfits were perfect for the six dancers to take their final bow. 

“How did the dance go?” Logan asked. 

“Brilliant!” Roman beamed. 

“Yeah it was amazing!” Patton piped up. “I love Hairspray so much, and Roman was amazing as the lead!” 

“You were incredible too, Patton!” 

The shortest giggled. “Let’s just agree that we’ve all been great!” 

“I can drink to that!” Remus said from the corner, cracking open his 3rd can of Coca Cola, bought on his second very-not-allowed trip to the foyer a few minutes prior. Patton and Roman were soon out of their Hairspray outfits and back into their ballroom suits. Patton’s bright blue outfit shone like a summer’s sky, while Roman’s royal red looked sophisticated and charming, truly able to highlight the elegance of his dancing. The final dance would begin soon and the younger children were already beginning to queue backstage, so before it got too crowded the boys decided to make their way to the front wing where they would enter from, however on their way they were stopped by none other than Mr Thomas Sanders, the Principal and main teacher of the dance school, a camera around his neck. 

“Boys, hi! I feel like I’ve barely gotten to speak to you during all this. I’ve been so busy trying to organise these damn kids...” he looked around at the chaos that was ensuing as about fifty small children tried to line up in the right order. He pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Anyways, I watched what I could from in the wings and you were all fantastic. I mean it. You’re all so unique and perform in you’re own ways but... you always look like you’re in it together. You six make the perfect team.”

The boys were practically glowing with pride at such high praise from the man who’d started all of this, the man who’d taught them all, given them the very foundations of their dance ability. 

“And you all look so amazing in these outfits, I’m so glad we chose these... could I take a quick picture of you all? I’ve tried to get photos of everyone in their costumes but you six have all been so busy, I guess we just couldn’t find the time! Better now than never!” he chuckled.

Virgil groaned as Thomas held up the camera, hiding his face in Remus’ shoulder. 

“Virgil,” Janus sighed. “You do realise all the dances you just did were filmed, right?” 

Virgil’s response was muffled, his face still buried in his boyfriend’s jacket. 

Janus fondly rolled his eyes. “Come on, you emo nightmare. Show the camera that award-winning smile of yours.” 

Virgil finally showed his face again and looked reluctantly at the camera as all six of them beamed. Patton rose up onto his tiptoes in order to put his arms around Logan and Roman, who were next to him. Roman gladly reciprocated, putting his arm around Janus, who put his arm around Virgil, who put his arm around Remus. They heard the click of the camera, and the memory was captured. A tiny snapshot of this massive experience, but despite that, it was a good summary. All six of them together, supporting each other, like they always had, and always would. 

The six of them made it through the chaos backstage with relative ease, Patton dealing with the kids, politely asking them to move out of the way and congratulating them on how well they had danced. It was what he would’ve wanted when he was just a toddler, the littlest of the group by far, doing his first shows. They made it into the downstage left wing as Logan took the lead, being the only one who was sure of their cue. 

“So...” he whispered, looking at the faces of his friends, only slightly illuminated by the stage lights. “We did it.” 

“Do not say that yet,” Virgil warned. “This is still a dance, stuff could still go wrong, you know?” 

“While that is... not impossible, statistically it is very unlikely, as the routine has been made extremely easy so the youngest dancers can keep up. I think... you all may as well accept my congratulations now. It has truly been an honour to dance alongside all of you.” 

Roman smiled at him. “Right back at ya, teach. You are all incredible people who all dance in your own ways... that show the audience a piece of who you are. Perhaps Patton’s energy and beaming smile, or Janus’ dramatic finesse, or Logan’s technical and rhythmical precision, or Remus’ boldness and confidence and his own spin on the routines, inspired someone in that audience tonight. And even if not... you all inspire me, every day. Never stop being yourselves, and leaving your hearts and souls on that stage. Because without all of you, I don’t know what I’d be.” 

He wrapped his arm around Logan who, in a rare show of affection, nuzzled his side. Roman swore he melted on the spot there and then. 

As everyone nodded in agreement of Roman’s statement, Janus looked at Patton, who he swore was tearing up. The shortest ran up to Roman and buried his face in his other side, wrapping his arms around the boys in red and navy, two of his oldest friends. 

“I love you all so much, thank you for getting me through this because I swear I couldn’t have done it without you. You all make me stronger, so I’m able to do things I never thought I could do. You all make the impossible possible. I’ll never, ever forget tonight, because I feel like I’ve found myself. I’ve been able to do what I love, surrounded by the people I love... is there really any greater gift than that?” 

Roman gently patted his hair as he nodded in agreement. “I love you too, Patton,” he said, beaming as he looked down at his friend. 

The one in light blue extended an arm out to Janus, who came and placed his hands gently on his friends’ shoulders. 

“You’ve all made me so proud,” he said. “I really never thought I’d say this, but... Remus is right. On the surface, technique seems to matter, but in the end, you won’t remember if you did every heel lead, or if your posture was perfect, or if your leg was fully stretched on a high kick. You’ll take away from this experience the skills and traits you picked up, the things you accomplished, the bonds you made. This is something to look back upon and be monumentally proud of, whether you’re an extremely talented dancer who could maybe even become professional...” he glanced at Roman, who smiled and blushed a little. “Or whether you’re just trying your best, giving it your all, doing what you love...” he looked down at Patton, who was now beaming wider than Janus thought was humanly possible. 

“Hey, let me get in here!” Remus said, wrapping his arms around Janus and Patton. 

“Well what can I say to add to that? You four aren’t just dancers, apparently you’re poets as well! But... for real... I wanna thank you all for believing in me. I may not do all the fancy technique, but I do love coming here and dancing and just... being myself. I love being a part of this truly incredible thing, no one ever judges you here. And I will absolutely remind you of what you just said next time you try and correct my technique in rehearsals, Jan Jan.” 

He stuck his tongue out at the one in yellow, who merely sighed fondly.

Virgil wordlessly joined the cuddle pile, and as the stage lights faded to black and audience applause signalled the start of the final dance, all six of them stood together in the wing, holding each other. Friends for life. Ready to give their all on that stage, one last time. 

One last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: one last chapter to go yall, but fear not because this au will definitely NOT be over after this story! I definitely plan to explore it more! Thank you so much for reading, hope you’re enjoying it :D


	14. When the Curtain Falls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it folks! The final chapter is here! 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of food

Logan led the six of them onto the stage one final time, and before they knew it, it was time to all hold hands and take their final bow. They soaked up the sound of audience applause one last time time as they stood proudly and took their bow before Logan led the line into the wings, and the stage and the lights and the audience were now all just a memory. A beautiful, perfect memory to be looked back upon for years to come. 

On the walk back to the dressing room, Janus took out his phone, glanced at the screen and winced. 

“Patton, our pizza’s almost here- we need to go to the foyer and collect it.” 

Logan looked at him skeptically. 

“You had your phone in your trouser pocket. While performing on stage?” 

Janus smirked. “Well, yeah, I had to keep track of the pizza. And, besides, that routine was ridiculously simplistic, it couldn’t possibly have fallen out.” 

Logan sighed. “If you say so.” 

Patton walked up to Janus. 

“What are we going to do? We aren’t allowed to go to the foyer, if we get caught we’re in huge trouble.” 

“You’re right,” Janus said. 

They both looked at the doorway that lead from backstage to the front of house, and Thomas was conveniently stood directly in front of it. It would seem their plan was foiled. Unless... 

“Roman!” Janus shouted. The one in red came over to see what all the fuss was about. 

“Ah, perfect,” Janus said. “We need you to distract Mr. Sanders.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“Our pizzas will be in the foyer in about thirty seconds, but Thomas is blocking the door. We need you to distract him so we can get through.” 

Roman sighed. “Alright then, but only because I’m getting pizza too,” he chuckled. 

Roman approached Mr Sanders, trying not to appear suspicious or awkward. Luckily, his teacher started the conversation for him. 

“Roman! I really must congratulate you on how well you danced today. Your technique was flawless, your performance was incredible. You are honestly one of the most talented dancers I’ve ever come across, have you ever considered-“ 

As Roman and the teacher seemed already engrossed in conversation, Patton giggled. 

“It’s working.” 

Janus took his hand. 

“Come on, Patton. Let’s get our pizzas.” 

They managed to sneak past Mr Sanders with relative ease and were soon sprinting through the theatre’s corridors towards the foyer, twirling and leaping as they went. When they reached the stairs, Patton showed some signs of slowing down, and so Janus scooped him up and carried him down the final flight and into the crowded foyer, which was easy thanks to all their practice with lifts for the ballroom number. 

Janus continued to carry Patton through the foyer, dodging audience members who smothered them with words of congratulations, heading towards the door. When they got there, it became apparent that they were just in time, the delivery person was just appearing on their motorbike.

They took out six pizzas and approached the two dancers inside the theatre, but upon seeing Patton and Janus, their eyes widened and their mouth gaped open slightly. It was only then that the two of them realised how strange they must look, in their brightly coloured, glittery jackets, shiny dance shoes and bold show makeup. Whatever the pizza delivery person was expecting when they were asked to go to the theatre, it obviously wasn’t... well... this.

“Delivery for Janice?” they asked. 

Patton giggled. 

“It’s Janus,” the one in yellow muttered, clearly not amused Janus had already paid for the pizzas online, so all that was needed was to collect them, and as he had no spare arms due to still carrying Patton, the shortest held out his arms and took all six boxes. 

“Thank you!” he beamed, as the delivery person smiled and walked away. 

“Can you carry them all?” Janus checked, as the pizzas wobbled slightly in Patton’s arms. He steadied them and nodded. 

“Perfect. Then let’s go back.” 

The pizzas were all set out on the tables in the already crowded dressing room and the boys took slices as they packed away their costumes and makeup. There was little conversation while the once chaotic dressing room reverted back to the neat, empty space it had been hours before, save for the dancers’ suitcases leaning against the wall and the empty pizza boxes on the table, ready for the trash.

The six of them stood silently at the door as they surveyed the now lifeless room. They wordlessly took their bags, Janus took the pizza boxes and they filed out, heading towards the foyer. 

The front of the theatre was now empty and silent, void of the excited, showbiz atmosphere that had been so present just an hour before. Now all their costumes and makeup were gone, they couldn’t hide behind their dance personas anymore. They were just themselves, sharing this moment together. 

Virgil took out his phone. “My dad’s waiting for me outside. I should probably get going.” 

Patton went up to him and hugged him tight. “Bye bye Virgil. Thanks for everything tonight.” 

“No problem, Pat.” 

As he turned to leave, Remus spoke up. 

“Hey! What about me?!” 

Virgil blushed slightly, giving Remus a hug. “Alright, you attention whore,” he muttered. 

“Oh, you love me,” Remus giggled as Virgil did not dispute. As the emo left, Remus looked around the rest of his friends. 

“Imma go to the car, bro,” he said to Roman. 

His twin nodded. “Meet you there.” 

Roman looked to Logan. 

“I’m proud of you,” he told him. 

The nerd flushed. “As am I.” Roman took his partner’s hand in his and brought it up to his face, kissing it softly.  
“I’m sure we’ll dance together again.” 

“I look forward to it.”

“As do I.” 

Roman was still beaming at him. “I should go, make sure Trash Man doesn’t get himself into trouble.” 

Logan nodded, as Roman turned and left the theatre, no doubt to return and dazzle the audience once again in the future. 

Patton smiled up at Logan. 

“Bye-bye, Logie.” 

“Goodbye, Patton.” he turned and left the theatre as well, leaving just Janus and Patton still in the foyer. They smiled at each other. 

“Thanks for being the best dance partner ever, Jan,” Patton said, walking up to Janus and placing his arms around him, as they naturally found themselves in ballroom hold. They easily fell into a waltz, Janus leading Patton around the foyer as they both laughed silently. 

They knew this wouldn’t be the last waltz, not by far. No, these six would dance their hearts out in many shows yet to come, and maybe even after that...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! So the “main story” for this au is over but I still have so, so many ideas! Like I’d love to explore the leadup to the show, and some of the aftermath. And I feel like I neglected Roman a bit in this story- he’s my favourite in the canon series and I’d love to explore this interpretation of him more. So there will definitely be (mostly quite short) oneshots in the future. They’ll probably be attached to this work somehow, maybe I’ll make it a series, I’ll work it out lol
> 
> I may also take suggestions for oneshots! Can’t promise I’ll write them all but I’d love to hear your ideas, especially from those of you who dance yourselves!
> 
> But other than that, thank you so much for reading this far!! I have loved writing this fic and I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading!
> 
> -Rose


End file.
